Gearing.



0. HEINS & C. IVI. & I. E. WILD.

l GEARING; APPLICATION FILED .IULY27. 1916.

11,266,259. Patented May14,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI l.

0.'HEINS & C. M. & 1. E. WiLD.

GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED xuLY 27.1916.

Patented May14, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, A TOHNEYS o. Hams @L c. 1v1. 5L 1. E. WILD.

(BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1916.

Patented May14,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 II IIIIII III UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

IOTTO `HEI-NS, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., AND CHARLES M. WILD AND JULIUS E. WILD, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TOBOSCH MAGNETO COMPANL'OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GEARING.

Application filed July 27, 1916.

-lflampden, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In disengageable gearing comprising driving and driven shafts and gears mounted thereon, it is customary to mount one of the gears fast, and to spline the other gear so that it is rotatable with the shaft but movable axially thereon into and out of engagement with the first gear; or else to mount the second gear fast and move its shaft axially. These ar 1angements operate satisfactorily in the movement of engagement when the teeth of the gears happen to be in meshing postion, but where the gearing is not readily accessible, or for other reasons cannot be brought by hand into meshing position, considerable difficulty may arise. Shaping the engaging sides of the teeth aineliorates the conditions somewhat, although clashing still occurs frequently, especially if one of the gears has comparatively few teeth; and wear and damage may be excessive if the driving gear is in rapid rotation and the driven gear kis under load during the meshing period.

Attempts have been made to overcome the difficulties by slowly rotating the driving gear until, by reason of the axially directed force applied thereto, the gears are partly or completely engaged, whereupon the gearing is driven at full speed. Other attempts have been made by mounting the driving gear on a worm to convert the rotary movement of the driving shaft into an axial or a combined axial and rotary movement of the gear during the meshing period. Still other attemptshave been made by mounting the Specification of Letters `Patent.

lposition to meshing position.

Patented 'May 14, 1918.

serial No. 111,659.

driving gear on a worm which is moved axially as well as slowly rotated during the meshing period.

In accordance with our invention, one of the gears, herein termed the pinioin is mounted on a shaft or sleeve or other carrying member for rotative movement thereon through a limited angle, preferably equal to the angle subtended by at least the thickness of one tooth, to thereby render the pinion capable of turning alone from clashing The pinion is also capable of a limited amount of movement along its axis of rotation, independently of its carrying member and independently of its rotative movement thereon, and a spring is arranged in back of the pinion so that when the carrying member is moved axially in a direction of engagement, and the gears clash, the spring is compressed or otherwise stressed in such manner as to force the pinion into engagement with the gear as soon as the teeth of the pinion slide off the teeth of the gear into meshing position. In these arrangements, the spring when stressed is sufficiently powerful to force the pinion partly or completely into engagement with the gear almost immediately that the meshing position is attained, and as a result of the facts that the pinion alone is moved by the spring, and the rotative and axial movements of the pinion on the carrying member are independent of each other at all positions, this meshing movement may be made extremely rapid especially if ythe pinion has but little inertia to axial movement.

To insure absolutely that the pinion moves from clashing position to meshing position. it is sometimes preferable that the pinion be rotated at the same time that it is moved axially, However, on account of the speed at which the spring forces the pinion .into engagement with the gear as soon as the meshing position is attained, it is not necessary, although it may be preferable in some cases, to reduce the speed of a continuously rotating driving motor, or to provide a phase of slow rotation of the pinion distinct from the phase of normal acceleration in starting the driving motor, In fact, the movement of engagement produced by the spring be made so rapid that the teeth of the gears have sufficient contact area before the gearing starts to drive the load in any of these arrangements, that excessive wear and broken teeth are practically eliminated.

The operation may be enhanced by etl'ecting a continuing axial movement of the carrying member concurrently with the engaging movement of the pinion, because by so doing, the rapidity and the extent of the engaging movement are increased and thus the area of contact between the teeth at the time that the gearing starts to drive the load is greater than it would otherwise be.

Thus our invention comprehends the use of a pinion mounted on its carrying member for a limited amount of rotative movement thereon and also for a limited amount of axial movement thereon independently of its rotative movement, a spring being arranged behind tlie pinion so that, in case the teeth should initially clash, the spring is stressed as a result of the additional axial movement of the carrying member alone, and then snaps the pinion into partial or complete engagement with the gear almost immediately that the teeth start to slide off each other. The means for moving the carrying member axially may be a manually operated lever, or the movement may result directly from an axial movement of the rotor of a driving motor. 1n either case,the axial movement of the carrying member may be continued during the period in which the pinion is being snapped into engagement.

Our invention is applicable generally to disengageable caring, as for instance in many kinds 0% machines, and for speed change gears in moving vehicles, and it is particularly applicable to starting apparatus for engines, such as internal combustion engines.

1n the accompanying drawings illustrating desirable forms of the invention in several applications, Figure 1 shows one form of the invention for general use in which, for example, the pinion is mounted on a sleeve splined on the driving shaft; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2*-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a central section like Fig. 2 of another form of the invention, mounted on a sleeve fast on the driving shaft; Fig. 5 shows another form of the invention for general use in which, for example, the pinion is mounted directly on the driving shaft; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an elevation of the right hand end of the driving shaft of Fig. 5; Figs. 9 to 12 show diagrammatically the arrangement of Fig. 4 mounted on the armature shaft of an electric motor for starting internal combustion engines, for example, wherein the motor and the circuits therefor have diierent arrangements to provide for different modes of operation.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, the gear 1 is mounted fast on the shaft 2, which is suitably journaled for rotation. The shaft 3 is suitably journaled for rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and in such position that the pinion 4 may be engaged with the gear l. rlhe sleeve 5 is splined on the shaft 3 by a feather and groove connection 6 so as to be sliclable therealong but rotatable therewith at all positions. The lever 7 pivoted at 7 carries a pin 8 projecting loosely into a groove 9 of the sleeve to slide the sleeve and parts carried thereby along the shaft 3 from the disengaged position shown in Fig. l toa position in which the pinion 4 and gear 1 are in complete engagement with each other.

The pinion 4 is loosely journaled on the sleeve 5 so as to be capable of rotative movement thereon and axial movement thereon independently of the rotative movement in all positions. The shoulder 10 coperates with a shoulder 11 on the sleeve to limit the outward axial movement of the pinion, and the diametrically opposite projecting sections of teeth at 12 form a coupling part extending into the jaws 13 of the part 14, which is fastened at 15 to the sleeve, thus forming between the pinion and its carrying member a coupling having an appropriate amount of rotative play. The compression spring 16 is coiled about the sleeve and has its ends extending into the holes 17 and 18 of the pinion 4 and coupling part 14. The two coupling parts are properly proportioned to permit the required amount of rotative play of the pinion on the sleeve, equal in this case to the angle subtended by about one and one-half teeth of the pinion, and also to permit a suitable amount of axial movement of the pinion on the sleeve equal in this case to about one-fourth the driving face of the pinion teeth excluding the beveled and sharpened part at 19. The spring permits independent rotative and axial movements of the pinion on the sleeve and is suciently powerful when compressed to aid materially in forcing the teeth of the pinion from clashing position with the teeth of the gear and then snapping the pinion into engagement over a part of its driving face instantly that the pinion advances on the sleeve to meshing position.

1f desired, the ends of the spring 16 may be disconnected from the pinion 4 and cou-- pling part 14, and merely abut against them, as will be understood from the description appearing hereinafter in connection With Fig. 4. Assuming that the parts are in the disengaged position shown in Fig. 1, then upon swinging the lever 7 to the left, the

sleeve 5 is moved toward the left. 1f the 130 .tation therewith. .sleeve is keyed at 21 to the shaft?) and is teeth happen to be in meshing position, the pinion 4 slides into engagement with the gear `1. If the shaft 3 is rotating during the meshingperiod, or is thereafter started into rotation, the pinion starts to drive lthe gear as soon as the jaws 13 of the coupling part 14 contact with the extensions 12 of the pinion. However, if the teeth clash upon axial movement of the sleeve on the shaft, the pinion is pressed back on the sleeve by the gear, thereby ycompressing the spring 16 until the pinion and the coupling part 14 abut and prevent further axial movement of the sleeve. The compressed spring may by itself be powerful enough to slide the beveled and'fsharpened teeth of the pinion off the teeth of the gear to meshing position, and then snap the pinion into partial enga gement with thc gear, of if such is not the case, a vsmall amount of rotation of the shaft byhandorduring an initial phase of com- .bined rotary andaxial movement thereof by a starting motor or during the normal period ,of .acceleration from rest, may be resorted to in order to turn the pinion from clashing position to meshing position. In fact, the ,spring forces the pinion sorapidly into engagement as soon as the vmeshing position is attained, that the shaft .may be Irotated at comparatively high speed during thegmeshing operation, and still the l,area o f contact between the teeth of the pin.q

ion and gearing is suflicient at the time jaws 13ofthe part 14C come into contact with the extension 12 of the pinion, that the rteeth arenot unduly worn and not damaged, lespecially iftheaxial movementof the sleeve is continued .by kpulling the lever 7 farther to the left as the pinion is beingsnapped by ,thespring 16 intoengagement withthe gear.

The arrangement vof 1l -is similar to that of the preceding figures, except that vthe ends ofthe 4springv16 are not connected to the'pinion et or coupling part 23, but merely abutfthe shoulders "and 18 thereof; and lthat the sleeve 20, on which the pinion 4t 1s -looselyljournaled, is fastened to the shaftfor axial movement therewith .as well vas for ro- In this construction, the

fastened at 22 to the coupling part23 which, .as in lthe preceding figures, has aws in loose driving engagement with the axial .extensions of the ypinion 4f. The coupling part is fastened by the cotterpin 24 to the internally threaded plug 25 which is screwed` onto the threaded end of the shaft 3.

The operation of the arrangement of Fig. 4l is lsubstantially like .the foregoing, except that the shaft 3 is moved axially to engage the pinion e with the gear. However, it should be remarked that when the ends of vthe spring 16 or 16 are connected to the pinion and coupling part, the pinion, when disensesed, [1S .-meieteed ,by the :SP1-"ieg in its fully ladvanced position on the sleeve 5 or 20. In that case the arrangement is not as well adapted for rotation in both directions as in the casein which the ends of the spring merely abut the pinion and coupling part.

In Figs. 5 to S, the pinion 26 is mounted loosely on thedriving shaft 3 and has a mutilated hub forming a. jaw 27 cooperative with a jaw 28 of the coupling part 29 which is pinned at 30-to the shaft 3. The two jaws `27 and 28 permit an appropriate amount of rotative playof thepinion 26 on the shaft 3, as maybe observed in Fig. 7, and also limit the outward axial movement of the pinion on the shaft. The nut 31 is screwed on the threaded end 32 of the shaft 3 and is fastened thereto by the cotter pin 33. The coiled spring 3d abuts the pinion 26 and the iange 35 of the nut and permits the pinion 26 to move axially on the shaft 3, independently of its rotative movementthereon, until its face 36 contacts with the adjacent face 37 of thenut 31. '.Ihe sleeve 38 is pinned at 39 to the shaft Y3, and the lever T is capable of moving the 4shaft suiiiciently to the left in Fig. 5 to engage the pinion 26 and the gear l. The operation of this arrangement will be understood from the foregoing.

The several embodiments shown herein maybe applied to the shaft of an electric or other form of starting motor. In Figs. to l2, we show theembodiment of F ig. l applied to an electric starting motor of a well known kind in which the armature is held in a magnetically decentered position when the circuitto the motor is interrupted. The armature a0 of the motor is mounted on thc shaft Ll1 and the spring 42 normallyv holds the armature in the magnetically decentered position illustrated when no current iows from the battery 4:3 to the field winding il. the pinion then being disengaged from the fly wheel gear l5 ofthe internal combustion engine 16.

In Fig. 9, the switch e7 is illustrated in inoperative position, but when the lswitch bridge L.t8 is depressed to position I into contact with the stud 49, current Hows from the battery through the conductor 50. field winding est, conductor 51, stud switch bridge 1S, stud 4,9, star-ting resistance and stud 5l to the othertermina-l of the battery. Upon depressing the switch bridge to position II, vthe current Howing through the field winding divides, a large part passing through the conductor 51 and stud 52 to the switch bridge 48, and a comparatively small part ybeing shunted through the armature winding, conductor 55 and stud 56 yto the switch bridge, where the two currents recombine and Aflow through the stud 49, starting yresistance 53 and studvgt to the other terminal of the battery.` As soon as ihe switch bridge leaves the stud 52, all of the @arrest passes threagb 'the @imei-lire and field windings in series,and as soon as the switch bridge reaches the stud 54 the start-V ing resista-nce 53 is cut out and full current is supplied to the motor.

`Thus, in the firstl operative position '1, the

armature is sucked toward its magnetically centered position, and if the teeth of the Vsufficiently powerful to cause the teeth of the pinion to slide ofi the teeth of the gear, the pinion turns on its sleeve until meshii'ig position is attained, whereupon the' spring 16 snaps the pinion into engagement with the gear and the armature simultaneously7 continues its axial movement to the magnetically centered position." 1n the second operative position l1 of the switch, wherein a comparatively small current flows through the armature winding, the armatnrestarts into slow rotation. Ifthe pinion is not engaged with the gear in the iirst position of the switch, slow rotation of the sleeve almost instantly ycauses the teeth to slide off each other and permits the spring 16 to snap the pinion into engagement with the gear. In the final position 111 of the switch, full current is supplied to the armature and field windings in series and the motor starts to bring the engine up to speed.l

The connections shown in Fig. 10 are similar to those shown in Fig. 9-excepting the first operative position 1 of the switch provides a shunt through the armature winding by reasonv of the long stud 57, thereby producing a slow rotary movement of the shaft 41 concurrently with the initial axial movement thereof. In the second position II, the armature winding is connected in series with the field Winding, and in the iinal position III, the starting resistance is cut out.

In accordance with connections shown in Fig. 11, the armature winding is not shunt-V ed in the irst operative position 1 of the switch, and thus the armature is moved axially without slowv rotation, just as in the arrangement of Fig. 9. In the second position Il, wherein the switch bridge 48 bridges the studs 58 and 59 and connects them to stud 60, the armature winding is shunted around the starting resistance 53 which is then in series with the field winding. By

making the starting resistance of suitably high value, substantially all ofthe current iiowing through the ield winding will, in this position of the switch, be caused to pass through the armature. In' the iinal position IH ofthe switch, the starting resistance 53 is cut out and full current flows to the varmature and eld windings in series. Thus,

in this arrangement, the motor starts into rotation at substantially normal' acceleration Jnst after the armature 1s drawn toward Iits magnetically centered position.

in the arrangement shown in Fig. 12, the armature and iield windings are permar nently connected in series, so that the armature is given an axial movement toward its magnetically centered position, and is .have a single operative position.

1n all of the arrangements shown in Figs. 9 to 12, the movement of the switch should be timed by the operator to accord with the desired operation of the motor. However, the starting period is usually of such short yduration that the movement is a continuous 'one and lsubstantially uniform. As soon as Vthe engine starts lto operate under its power, 'the spring 42, which was stressed by the 'movement' of the armature 40 to its magnetically centered position, forces the armature back and thereby disengages the pinion 4 from the gear 45. The switch 47 is released and returns to its inoperative position. The switch is constructed in the well known way so that in the return movement the switch bridge 48 does not bridge the studs" 52 and 56 of Fig. 9, or the studs 49 and 63 of Fig. 10, or the studs 58 and 59 of Fig. 11.

l/Ve claim:

1. 1n disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinion-carrying' member, a pinion mounted on the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently thereof, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressedupon axial movement of the pinion on the carrying member, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions on the carrying member, and means for engaging and disengaging the pinion and gear.

2. 1n disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinion-carrying member, a pinion journaled on a smooth portion of the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently of the carrying member, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressed upon axial movement of the pinion on the carrying member, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in allof its axial positions on the carrying member, and means for engaging and disengaging the pinion and gear.

3. In' disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinn the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently thereof, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressed upon axial movement of the pinion on the carrying member, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions on the carrying member, and means for moving the carrying member axially to engage and disengage the pinion and gear.

4. In disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinion-carrying member, a pinion journaled on a smooth portion of the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently of the carrying member, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressedy upon axial movement of the pinion on the carrying member, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions on the carrying member, and means for moving the carrying member axially to engage and disengage the pinion and gear.

5. In disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinion-carrying member, a pinion mounted on the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently thereof, a spring connected to the pinion' and its carrying member and constructed and arranged to be stressed upon axial movement of the pinion upon its carrying member, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions on the carrying member, and means for engaging and disengaging the pinion and gear.

6. In disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinion-carrying member, a pinion mounted on the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently thereof, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressed upon axial movement of the pinion of the carrying member, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged between the pinion and the carrying member to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions thereon, and means for engaging and disengaging the pinion and gear.

7. In disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinion-carrying member, a pinion mounted on the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently thereof, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions on the carrying member and comprising a part fast with the carrying member and a cooperative part formed by axial extensions of the pinion, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressed upon axial movement of the pinion on the carrying member, and

in eans forcngaging and disengaging the pinion and gear.

8. In disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinion-carrying member, a pinion mounted on the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently thereof, a spring behind the'lpinion constructed and arranged to be 'stressed upon axial movement of the pinion on its carrying member and also arranged tol limit vvthe axial movement of the pinion on its carrying member in one direction, a part fast with the carrying member for limiting the axial movement of the pinion on its carrying member in the opposite direction, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions on the carrying member, and means for engaging and disengaging the pinion and gear.

i 9. In disengageable gearing, a gear, a pinion-carrying member, a pinion mounted on the carrying member for rotative and axial movements independently thereof, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressed upon axial movement of the pinion on its carrying member, a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions on the carrying member, and means for moving the carrying member in an axial direction to engage the pinion and gear, said means permitting the continuing axial movement of the carrying member concurrently with the engaging movement of the pinion and gear.

10. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a gear, a starting motor having a rotor normally out of its centered position, a pinion carried by the rotor for rotative and axial movements independent-ly thereof, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressed upon axial movement of the pinion relatively t0 the rotor, and a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion in all of its axial positions relatively to the rotor, of a source of power supply for the motor, and power connections which first connect the source of power to the rotor to draw the rotor to its centered position and thereby connect the pinion and gear, and which then drive the pinion to bring the engine up to its starting speed.

l1. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a gear, an electric starting motor having an armature normally out of its centered position, a pinion carried by the armature for rotative and axial movements independently thereof, a spring behind the pinion constructed and arranged to be stressed upon axial movement of the pinion relatively to the armature, and a coupling having a limited amount of rotative play and being arranged to drive the pinion to bring the engine up to its starting pinion in all of its axial positions relatively Speed. 1 G to the armature, of a source of power sup-Y In testimony whereof we affix our signaply for the motor, and electric connections tures.

which connect the source of power to the armature to first draw the armature to its OTTO HEINS.

centered position and thereby connect the CHARLES M. WILD. pinion and gear, and which then drive the JULIUS E. WILD.

Gopea of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

